The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-28
REMARKABLE OPERATION.
Removing a Spoon from a Mans Stomach
After IL Had Lain Therein Four Years.

After 1t Had Lain Therein Four Years.
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette.
A most remarkable and successful surgical
operation was performed upon one of the male
patients of the Cincinnati Hospital. Sunday
morning last by DR.. E. w. Walker. of 90 W est
Elghth street, who was assisted by sur
geon John A. Murphy and several of
the internes of the hospital corps. On
July TO young man of medium build. who
registered as Andrew j. Driver, aged twenty
two, and residing at 81 Pierson street for three
Months past. entered the hospital. He was al
most bent double and walked with great diff
Guilty and In answer to questions, stated that ne
was suffering from most agouizing pains in the
stomach For several wears he has been travel
ing with shows about the country as fakir, and
performing the sword swallowing feat
About four years ago, while giving per-
Torrance one of the smaller towns in the
northe n part of this State. he was oantered by
a number of spectators. who thought the sword
he swallowed was worked by springs and they
dared him to go through the same act with an
ordinary case-knfe. In this he was successful,
and number made up purse and wagered
him quite sum that he could not swallow an
ordinary teaspoon. He accepted their chal-
lenge, and picking up q triple plated
.es Of it hi. oush sna
swallowed it. He after that continued the
sword act, feeling no i'll effect from the spoon
until about SIX months ago, when, during one of
his performances, he Distinctly felt the end OF the
sword blade strike the spoon, and for several
days could feel 1t gradually changing its course
toward his stomach. Yet, all this while he had
experienced no couSdbiou. ooLuo t"O
weeks later, however. he Was attacked with vio-
lent cramps and pains, beginning in his right
side ana afterward changing the course of
the suffering the stomach, in the i'm
mediate neighborhood of the navel. These
attacks were only periodical at first,
but became gradually more frequent, and finally
ne concluded come to Cincinnati for treat
ment Arriving here. he had more favorable
turn, and remained most OF the time about
home until on the date mentioned. when he was
again attacked in a more violent form than at
any previous time He then concluded to seek
medical aid, and to that end tered the hospital
for treatment He was closely questioned and
the excessive hot weather and the delicacy with
which his CASE would necessarily have to be han
died, the surgeons thought it advisable to defer
the operation until the weat her became more IA
vorable He was informed Sun day morning that
in order to extract the spoon from his stomach a
very delicate and yet severe surgical operation
would have to be performed that would be at
have the operation performed. aud accordingly
during the early morning hours OF that day he
was placed under the influence OF an anBsthetic
and the operation began. DIR. Walker skillfully
handled the knife and opened the stomach q
trifie below the naval, where toward the right
the handle of the spoon, and working the finger
along through the growth the bell part OF the
spoon was reached and The spoon removed in
tact from the patient
The intestines were placed carefully back and
the wound dressed aud sewed up the patent
during the operation giving hardly any intima
ton of cain. During Sunday, after recovering
from the effects of the apasthetic administered
he complained of pain and was quite restless.
but during yesterday seemed To be recovering
nicely and last night when the hospital
visited he resting easily.